FST FAQ

Item No. 11626-11, which is a pastel green is Inox with a Teflon coating. Item No. 11220-21, which is a regular green hue is Inox coated with epoxy. Item Nos. 11252-50 and 11272-50 are both Inox coated with ceramic. Item No. 11215-02 is carbon steel coated with epoxy.

Scissors with black handles means they are ToughCut®.

ToughCut® scissors feature two unique cutting edges that cut through the toughest tissue
with exceptional ease and accuracy. One blade is honed to razor sharpness, and the other
is micro-serrated to minimize tissue slippage during cutting.

Instruments with gold handles means they are made with tungsten carbide.

Tungsten carbide is one of the hardest alloys available and lasts almost two times longer than stainless steel. Tip inlays are either glued or welded into place. For needle holders, tips can be made with a pyramid cross pattern that holds suture needles much more securely.

Compare the extra cost of these instruments with the length of useful wear, and you have a
cost effective solution for your instrument requirements.

Stainless steel is an alloy, which does exactly what its name implies: stains less than ordinary steel (iron). Yes, it can stain, discolor and rust, given the right circumstances.

To make iron stainless, nickel and chromium are added in certain quantities, depending on the purpose it is being used for and the quality required. The more chromium added to the mix, the softer the alloy becomes, something not desirable in a surgical instrument. Given that, quality medical stainless steel alloy is of a very specific, narrowly defined mix.

A further aspect of making steel “stain less” is a repeated process of extracting surface impurities, mainly minerals. And the final high polish of the finished instrument puts a minute protective coating on it, also very important to make the instrument “stain less”. Whether the final product is highly polished or matte finished will make no difference in its stainless ability.

Titanium instruments are over 40% lighter than equivalent stainless steel instruments, with better flexibility and strength. Elemental titanium (Ti) is a very strong, lustrous, white metal with a specific gravity of 4.54. Titanium and titanium alloys readily form stable protective surface layers, giving them excellent corrosion resistance to saltwater, laboratory saline solutions, blood and other bodily fluids, oxidizing acids, alkalis and chlorides.

Titanium is 100% nonmagnetic; a great benefit when working with nerves. Its inherent surface oxide film provides bactericidal and non-allergenic properties. Titanium alloys can be heated up to 440°C (824°F).

One of the hardest materials on Earth, ceramic is used in surgical instruments to form edges that
last longer than stainless steel and even longer than tungsten carbide. Ceramic also has a high slide capacity which reduces surface tension and results in a much cleaner cut than metal instruments.

Our CeramaCut® scissors combine ToughCut® technology with Tungsten Carbide edges and a ceramic coating for one of the best, cleanest cutting scissors available on the market today.

The cutting life is more than doubled with the addition of ToughCut blades to stainless steel, and over six times longer with CeramaCut blades.

• Tungsten Carbide  lasts 1.9x longer than stainless steel
• Stainless Steel with ToughCut lasts 2.3x longer than stainless steel
• Tungsten Carbide with ToughCut lasts 4.1x longer than stainless steel
• CeramaCut (Ceramic Coated Tungsten Carbide with ToughCut) lasts 6.6x longer than stainless steel